Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.332

c10.332

Tāpī (Tāptī).—This is undoubtedly the river Tāptī but strangely enough it is nowhere mentioned in the Epics, not even in the Bhīṣmaparva list of the Mahābhārata (Luders' List, No. 1131). The Bhāgavatapurāṇa (V. 19, 18; X. 79, 20) and the Padmapurāṇa (Uttarakhaṇḍa, vv. 35-38) mention this river, which has its source in the Multai plateau to the west of the Mahadeo hills and flows westward forming the natural boundary between the Central Provinces and the north-western tip of Berar. It passes through Burhanpura and crossing the boundary of the Central Provinces, it enters the Bombay Presidency to meet the sea at Surat. It is fed by a number of unimportant tributaries. According to the Viṣṇupurāṇa (II, 3. 11) this river rises from the Rikṣa hills. It was visited by Balarāma (Vāyu, 45. 102; Brahmāṇḍa, II, 16. 32).